Monday 6 July 2015

Anti-fracking state imports shale gas

The US state of Vermont, which has banned fracking within its borders, has been accused of importing shale gas from other regions.

The finding comes from the American environmental group, Conservation Law Foundation, which also said the east coast state imports nuclear power as well.

Vermont was the first in the US to ban fracking back in 2012 and closed its nuclear plant in December 2014. But it appears to have made up the shortfall in its energy needs by taking gas from fracking in Canada and nuclear energy from a plant in New Hampshire.

The region is working to produce renewable energy and to be more efficient, according to experts.

However, environmentalists don’t agree with the state’s energy imports which would not be allowed inside of the state frontiers.

Sandra Levine, attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation, said: “We need to take responsibility for where that power comes from and we need to make sure we are meeting our environmental goals in that energy use and that we’re not just protecting our own very small backyard.”